Bottle capping device



A1lg- 1956 H. o. KNUTSON 2,760,391

BOTTLE CAPPING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1953 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,760,391 I norru: CAPPING nnvrcn Harold .0.Knutson, Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Max Factor & Co., Hollywood,Calif., a corporation of California This invention relates to a bottlecapping device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bottle capping devicewherein a bottle is held stationary and means are lowered to screw a caponto the neck of the bottle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bottle cappingdevice which will not screw the cap onto a bottle with an excess oftorque with resulting injury thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bottle cappingdevice wherein the amount of torque applied to the cap is readilyadjustable from the outside of the structure.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a bottlecapping device wherein the cap engaging means is not rotating uponcontacting the cap.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparentfrom the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a bottle capping device embodying thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken along line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device with housing removed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the clutch mechanism.

A bottle 10 usually of glass is moved along a conveyor and theinternally threaded cap 12 is positioned either manually or mechanicallyupon the externally threaded neck of the bottle and screwed partiallythereon. It is readily apparent therefore that the position of the capson the bottles will vary as they are presented to the capping device.The bottle is stopped beneath the capping device and secured by suitablemeans against rotation. The bottle capping device is lowered eithermechanically or manually into contact with the cap and functions toscrew the cap onto the bottle to a tightly closed position.

This invention is concerned with the capping device hereinafterdescribed. The device is driven from a suitable source of power by aflexible drive formed of a stationary cable 16 having a rotating drivenmember 18 which screws into the upper extremity of shaft 20. The cableterminates in a plug 22 which in turn screws into the upper extremity ofhousing 24 and is secured against rotation by means of set screws 26.

The shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in housing 24 by means of bearing 28and carries at its lower extremity the upper jaw 30 of the clutchmechanism. The shaft is indented as at 32 and 34 and the upper jaw 30has a pair of apertures such as 36 through which pins 38 and 40 projectinto the indents 32 and 34 permitting vertical movement of the upper jaw30 on shaft 20. The pins are urged inwardly by means of split ring 42. Aspring 44 is mounted upon shaft 20 by means of a collar 46 which screwsonto the shaft and is secured thereon by set screws 48 and 50.

The lower extremity of shaft 20 has a slot therein into which the pin 52at the upper extremity of lower shaft 54 projects. This connectionpermits vertical movementbetween the-upperand lower shafts whilemaintaining alignment between the two shafts. Secured to the lower shaft54 by pin 56 is the lower jaw 58 which engages the upper jaw 30 in amanner'hereinafter to be described.

The lower shaft 54 is journaled in a bushing 60 which in turn is securedto housing 24. The shaft 54 is threaded as at 62 after. projectingthrough the bushing and carries thrust bearing 64 thereon. The thrustbearing is movable verticallyon shaft 54 and isjsecuredin the desiredposition by means of collar 66 which screws onto the shaft and issecuredby set screw 68. V

Atits lower extremity the lower shaft 54 is threaded to receive shell 70which in turn has mounted therein a rubber bushing 72 having a conicalaperture 74 therethrough. When the device is lowered onto the bottle thecap 12 thereof projects into aperture 74 and the conical shaped apertureadapts the device for various sized and shaped caps.

It is to be noted that with the collar 66 in the position illustrated inFigure 2 the lower jaw 58 is raised above the upper surface of bushing69. When thedevice is not engaged with bottle cap 12 the weight of thelower shaft and the attached parts causes it to lower in the bushing 60disengaging the upper and lower jaws 36 and 58 so that the shaft 54 andhence rubber bushing 72 is not rotating. When the bushing engages abottle cap the shaft 54 is raised engaging the upper and lower clutchesdriving shaft 54 and bushing 72 to screw a cap 12 on a bottle 10.

To prevent too much torque being applied to the cap the jaws 30 and 58are formed as best seen in Figure 6.

Each jaw has formed thereon three lugs 76 spaced equally from oneanother and have the corners thereof tapered. When the jaws first engageupon raising of shaft 54 the lower shaft 54 is rotated screwing cap 12on bottle 10. When the cap is tight and resists further rotation theupper jaw raises against the urging of spring 44 and the lugs by meansof their rounded corners slip over one another.

It is thus apparent that the amount of torque the device will applybefore the clutch formed between upper and lower jaws 30 and 58 willslip is controlled both internally by the strength of spring 44 andposition of collar 46 and externally by positioning of collar 66 whichlimits the upward movement of shaft 54.

While what hereinbefore has been described is the preferred embodimentof this invention it is readily apparent that alterations andmodifications can be resorted to without departing from the scope ofthis invention and such alterations and modifications are intended to beincluded within the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A bottle capping device comprising: an upper drive shaft, an upperjaw mounted upon said drive shaft for longitudinal movement thereon,means biasing said jaw toward the lower extremity of said drive shaft, adriven shaft, a lower jaw mounted upon said driven shaft, meanssuspending said driven shaft from said drive shaft permittinglongitudinal movement between the shafts to engage ordisengage saidjaws, cap engaging means mounte upon said driven shaft, and means foradjusting the position of said driven shaft in said suspensionrneansthereby varying the amount of torque necessary to urge said upper jawagainst said biasing means and thereby disengaging same from said lowerjaw.

2. A bottle capping device comprising: a housing, a drive shaft in theupper portion of said housing, an upper jaw mounted on said drive shaftfor longitudinal move ment thereon, a driven shaft mounted in saidhousing for movement relative to said drive shaft, adjustable means mentof said driven shaft towards said drive shaft, a v

lower jaw mounted upon said driven shaft for engagement with said upperjaw, and cap engaging means carried by said driven shaft. g I

3. A bottle capping device comprising: 'a-housing, a drive shaft in theupper portion of said housing, an upper jaw mounted on said drive shaftfor longitudinal movement thereon, a driven shaft mounted in saidhousing for movement relative to said drive shaft, a collar adjustablymounted upon said driven shaft outside said housing and engaging same tolimit movernent of said driven shaft towards said drive shaft, a lowerjaw mounted upon said driven shaft for engagement with said upper jawand cap engaging means carried bysaid driv'e'n shaft.

4. A bottle capping device comprising: a housin a drive shaft in theupper portion of a said hous n an upper jaw mounted on said drive shaftfor longitudinal movement thereon, spring means biasing said upper jawtowards the lowerextremity of said drive shaft, a driven shaft mountedin said housing for movement relative to said drive shaft, a collaradjustably mounted upon said driven shaft outside said housing andengaging same to limit movement of said driven shaft towards said driveshaft, a lower jaw mountedupon said driven shaft for engagement withsaid upper jaw', and cap engaging means carried by said driven shaft,

V References Cited in the filejo fthi's patent j UNITED STATES PATENTSCraig et a1 Sept. 14, 1948

